AAPA collects base pay data in the form of salaries, hourly wages, or guaranteed pay within a productivity model to assess the overall compensation across 60 PA specialties. The totals also include bonuses. Only specialties with 100 or more respondents nationwide are included in the report.
Cardiovascular/cardiothoracic surgery was also the highest paid PA specialty in 2020, with an average compensation of $130,000.
- Cardiovascular/cardiothoracic surgery — $147,000
- Dermatology — $146,000
- Emergency medicine — $129,146
- Surgical subspecialties — $127,775
- Occupational medicine — $125,600
- Critical care — $124,886
- Neurosurgery — $124,000
- Urgent care — $123,517
- Radiology — $122,350
- Plastic surgery — $122,000
To read more about the survey methodology, click here.
